bicentennial
Meaning
relating to a two-hundredth anniversary.
a two-hundredth anniversary.
Structure
Usage
the city held a grand parade for its bicentennial celebration.
the museum's special exhibition was launched for the nation's bicentennial.
planning for the town's bicentennial began a full decade in advance.
Etymology
the word "bicentennial" is a modern english formation built from classical latin components. the prefix "bi-" (two) combines with the root "cent-" (hundred) to denote two hundred. this is then attached to "-ennial", derived from the latin "annus" for year, which creates an adjective meaning "pertaining to a period of so many years". the term's logic is transparently arithmetic, literally meaning "pertaining to a two-hundred-year period," and it entered common usage in the 19th century, most famously to describe the 200th anniversary of the united states in 1976.
Analysis
- bi: from latin "bi-", meaning "two". a numerical prefix. - cent: from latin "centum", meaning "hundred". a root denoting a hundred. - ennial: from latin "annus", meaning "year", via the combining form "-ennial", an adjective-forming suffix meaning "pertaining to a period of years".